Process of bending structural members and tool therefor

ABSTRACT

Structural members such an angle iron or channel members are bent to a desired radius by crimping the flange or flanges thereof to provide V-shaped pockets or crimps therein. The crimping tool includes a crimping jaw which, before crimping, locates the tool against the leg of the angle or channel member but which swings slightly away from it during crimping movement effected on the intersected flange so as to avoid tearing or shearing the flange while still locating the crimp very close to the leg. An improved form of angle or channel member is provided with openings along the intersection of the leg and flange to allow accurate positioning of the crimp and to further militate against tearing or shearing of the flange.

United States Patent [191 White Aug. 21, 1973 PROCESS OF BENDING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AND TOOL THEREFOR [76] Inventor: James C. White, P. O. Box 5495, Station B, Greenville, SC. 29606 [22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 113,639

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 786,103, Dec. 23, 1968.

[52] U.S. Cl. 72/409, 72/459 [51] Int. Cl B2ld 9/08 [58] Field of Search 72/410, 409, 458, 72/459, 479; 81/341, 418, 419, 425

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,604,244 9/1971 Thomas 72/459 1,400,102 12/1921 Spangler 72/458 3,636,690 1/1972 White 52/633 831,477 9/1906 Sandal] 81/418 2,556,538 6/1951 Hauschild 72/409 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-M. J. Keenan AttorneyGeorge M. Hopkins [5 7] ABSTRACT Structural members such an angle iron or channel members are bent to a desired radius by crimping the flange or flanges thereof to provide V-shaped pockets or crimps therein. The crimping tool includes a crimping jaw which, before crimping, locates the tool against the leg of the angle or channel member but which swings slightly away from it during crimping movement effected on the intersected flange so as to avoid tearing or shearing the flange while still locating the crimp very close to the leg. An improved form of angle or channel member is provided with openings along the intersection of the leg and flange to allow accurate positioning of the crimp and to further militate against tearing or shearing of the flange.

4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEUIIIGZI I975 SNEETZ 0F 2 n Win PROCESS OF'BENDING STRUCTURAL AND TOOL THEREFOR CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of US. Pat. application Ser. No. 786,l03, filedDec. 23, 19 68.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION V-shaped crimps are provided in the flange or flanges of an angle or channel member to shorten the effective length of said flange or flanges andthereby cause the leg to bend in an arcuate plane. Openings provided at the intersection of the leg and flange or flanges at predetermined spaced points along such intersections provide locating means for the apices of the crimps and aid in preventing tearing or shearing of the flange in the region of the intersection. Staggered openingsalong'the flange or flanges are aligned with the'openings to allow easier crimping action and serving to locate the staggered holes of overlapping members when same are nested with respect to each other.

A novel crimping tool embodies pivotally connected jaw members one of which contains a V-shaped depression and the other of which includes a V-shaped nose complementary to the depression and the pivotal connection between the jaws is located with respect to the nose and more particularly the apex thereof to allow the nose properly to locate the tool with respect to a member to be crimped while allowing the nose to swing slightly away from the intersection between the leg and flange of the member so as to effect a crimping action which extends very close to the intersection but which does not effect tearing at that point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the crimping tool according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view partly broken away of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 and illustrating a structural member operatively associated therewith prior to the crimping action;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the tool in use;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structural member provided with crimps effected by the tool of FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustrating certain openings and holes in the structural member aiding in the crimping action;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a channel member bent to a radius by crimping according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing operative relationship between two structural members;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing a pair of angle members in nested relationship;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a channel and angle member in nested relationship;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a retaining device utilized with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the utilization of the retaining device shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a modified type of retaining device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference at this time more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the crimping tool shown therein will be seen to include an upper jaw member indicated generally by the reference 10 and a lower jaw member 12, the two jaw members being pivotally interconnected by a pivot pin 14 and each of the jaw members being provided with an extension as indicated by the reference characters 16 and 18 for removably receiving handle members 21 and 22, see FIG. 3, whereby the requisite mechanical advantage may be obtained.

The lower jaw member 12 includes a main body portion 24 having a generally rectangular upstanding block 26 secured thereto as by the weldments 28 and 30 or, if desired, the block 26 may be integrally formed with the main body portion 24. The block 26 is provided with a flat upper surface portion 32 having a V-shaped or U-shaped ie. tapered trough-shaped or valley-shaped depression 34 therein the trough 36 thereof, as may be seen in FIG. 2, sloping downwardly from the apex 38 of the depression to the rear edge 40 of the block 26 so that both in plan and sectional views, the depression 34 progressively widens from its apex 38 in a direction away from the pivot pin 14.

The upper jaw 10 may include a main body portion 42 having a projecting nose portion 44 whose under side is tapered and Vd generally complementary to the shape of the depression 34. Side members 50 may be integral with the main body portion 42 or suitably secured thereto as by welding and may include forwardly extending arms 52 and 54 which straddle the block 26 and the forward ends of which are bored to receive the pivot shaft or pin 14 which passes through the block 26, substantially as is shown. The apex 56 of the nose 44 is located behind and somewhat above the axis of the pivot pin or shaft 14 so that when the nose is swung into the depression 34, the apex 56 of the nose will swing on an arc to shift both laterally and downwardly with respect to the axis of the pivot pin 14, the lateral movement being in a direction away from such axis. At the same time, the construction of the component parts is such that when the'lower edge 60 of the nose lies substantially parallel to the flat upper surface 32 of the block 26, the flat upper surfaces 62 and 64 of the arms 52 and 54 are substantially coplanar with the surface 32 so that the flange 66 of a structural member such as the angle member shown in FIG. 2 maybe supported on this surface in the fashion shown. The apex of the nose 44 is provided with a flat surface 68 which serves to index the structural member such that the upstanding leg 70 thereof is precisely located with respect to the nose 44 and the depression 34 so that when the crimping action takes place, and although the apex 56 of the nose 44 swings slightly away from the leg 70, the V-shaped crimp formed having its apex lying very close to the leg 70 but at the same time sufficiently away therefrom to prevent tearing or shearing of the flange material in the region in close adjacency to the leg 70. FIG. 2 also illustrates a construction of the structural member which aids in preventing this tearing action, the member being provided with the corner opening 72 at the intersection between the leg 70 and flange 66 to form a relief or void in the region 74 immediately below the apical portion of the nose 44 as will be clearly evident in FIG. 2.

A U-shaped stop member 76 is secured to the upper jaw assembly 10 with its bight portion underlying the lower jaw member 12 and limits opening movement of the jaw members relative to each other placing the surfaces 62, 64, and 32 substantially coplanar and with the lower edge 60 of the nose 44 spaced above and parallel to this plane. FIG. 4 illustrates a structural member as shown in FIG. 2 provided with crimps 80 along its flange 66, the crimps effectively shortening the length of the flange 66 and thus bending the leg 70 in an arcuate plane as is shown. Also shown-in FIG. 4 is the provision of a series of holes in the flange 66, comprising an outer set of holes 82 and an inner set of holes 84 disposed along respective centerlines offset from each other and parallel to the line of intersection 86 between the flange 66 and leg 70. These offset sets of holes are for the purpose of allowing members such as are shown in FIG. 6 to be nested with respect to each other and the offset between the sets of holes is equal to the thickness of the leg 70 so that the inner member has its inner set of holes 84 capable of registration with the outer set of holes 82 of the outer member for the reception of fastening members such as the bolt 88 and associated screw nut Q as is shown in FIG. 6. The openings 72 are aligned with the respective holes 82 and 84 serving to provide means whereby the crimps may be accurately positioned on the flanges 66 so that when the members are nested, the holes are in proper registry and, also, the alignment of the holes 82 and 84 with the openings 72 always positions one of the holes 82 or 84 in alignment with the deepest part of the crimps 80 to relieve some of the effort of effecting crimping action.

FIG. 3 shows the use of the tool in association with a conventional angle iron member 92 crimping the flange 94 thereof to bend the leg as indicated by the reference 96 and FIG. shows a channel member 98 provided with the crimps 80 in both its upper and lower flanges I00 and 102 so as to bend the web or leg 104 joining the flanges 100 and 162.

FIG. 7 shows, in section, a pair of structural members nested and secured together, it being appreciated that either of the flanges 106 and 108 or the flanges 1 l0 and 112 may be crimped, the registering holes 82 and 84 being utilized to receive rivets 114 for securing the members together and the openings 72 receiving a cor- ,ner fastening device 116 as shown. The corner openings 72, therefore, serve the additional purpose of allowing these additional fasteners 116 to be utilized. The openings 72 and the openings 82, 84 may serve additional purposes as are illustrated in FIGS. l0and 11. In F 1G. 10, a zigzag length of spring wire as is shown in FIG. 9 having the angled legs 118 joined by the loops 120 is bent back and forth in arcuate form as shown in FIG. with one free end 122 of the wire being anchored in one of the holes 84 and laced back and forth as shown to dispose the legs 118 in arcuate form as illustrated thereby to retain a conductor or cable 124 in place relative to the structural member 126, the opposite free end 128 of the wire serving as the end anchoring means substantially as is shown.

In FIG. 1 1, an alternative form of clip is shown which may take the form simply of a length of spring wire having a bent free end 130 and a loop 132 at its opposite end, the clip being assembled as shown.

In addition to the functions of the holes 82, 84 described above, holes 82, 84 also function to provide spaced transverse areas of relative weakened condition which can be readily deformed, as illustrated in FIG. 4, thereby providing the valley-shaped depressions, or crimps 80 wherein the apex of the depression is at an opening 72 and the function of the converging walls of wedge-shaped crimp 8 0 intersects a hole 82. The hole 72, of course, facilitates the gathering of the metal of the crimp 80 at the apex region. The holes 72, which are angularly disposed with respect to both flanges 66 and at their common edge, are out of the way of any conduit, such as conduit 124 in structural member 126. Therefore, the fastener 116 is uniquely disposed so as to be removed from any such conduit 126.

When an angle and channel member are desired to be secured together as is shown in FIG. 8, the flange 134 and the flanges 136 and 138 are crimped to form the bend and the parts secured together by the rivets 114 and fasteners 116 in the fashion similar to that described in conjunction with FIG. 7.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While the presently illustrative embodiments of the invention are given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as invention:

1. A crimping tool for forming flanged members to a radius comprising, in combination;

a first jaw member having a body portion presenting a surface portion,

a second jaw member having a pair of arms straddling said body portion of the first jaw member and pivotally joined thereto, said arms having surfaces normally lying adjacent to said surface portion of the first jaw member to cooperate therewith and provide locating surfaces for the flange of a member to be crimped,

said body portion of the first jaw member having a valley-shaped depression therein in which the apex thereof lies adjacent to the pivotal connection between the jaw members and the depth and width of the depression increasing progressively from said apex in a direction away from said pivotal connection,

said second jaw member having a nose adjacent said body portion of the first jaw member and between said arms, said nose having a projecting portion generally complementary to said depression,

and handle means for swinging said nose into said depression to crimp an associated flange.

2. The crimping tool according to claim 1 including a stop member carried by one jaw member and engageable with the other jaw member to locate the surfaces of said arms coplanar with said surface portion of said body portion.

3. The crimping tool according to claim 1 in which the apical tip of said nose is located above and laterally from said pivotal connection between said jaw members.

4. The crimping tool according to claim 3 wherein said apical tip of said nose is provided with an upstanding indexing surface.

* I I I t 

1. A crimping tool for forming flanged members to a radius comprising, in combination; a first jaw member having a body portion presenting a surface portion, a second jaw member having a pair of arms straddling said body portion of the first jaw member and pivotally joined thereto, said arms having surfaces normally lying adjacent to said surface portion of the first jaw member to cooperate therewith and provide locating surfaces for the flange of a member to be crimped, said body portion of the first jaw member having a valley-shaped depression therein in which the apex thereof lies adjacent to the pivotal connection between the jaw members and the depth and width of the depression increasing progressively from said apex in a direction away from said pivotal connection, said second jaw member having a nose adjacent said body portion of the first jaw member and between said arms, said nose having a projecting portion generally complementary to said depression, and handle means for swinging said nose into said depression to crimp an associated flange.
 2. The crimping tool according to claim 1 including a stop member carried by one jaw member and engageable with the other jaw member to locate the surfaces of said arms coplanar with said surface portion of said body portion.
 3. The crimping tool according to claim 1 in which the apical tip of said nose is located above and laterally from said pivotal connection between said jaw members.
 4. The crimping tool according to claim 3 wherein said apical tip of said nose is provided with an upstanding indexing surface. 